


Distance

by bexacaust



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 06:54:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6971239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bexacaust/pseuds/bexacaust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You and me are //irresistible//<br/>In too deep, its \\unbelievable\\</p>
            </blockquote>





	Distance

When had they frozen over like this?

When had it become proper designations and avoiding each other’s optics like this?

When had Perceptor stopped softening his gaze whenever he looked at the white speedster; when had Drift stopped grinning like he had a secret when he caught the sniper’s eye?

When did they start avoiding touch?

Was it when Perceptor forgot how to thaw after battle? Was it when Drift had slipped out of Perceptor’s quarters to spend time with Blurr in content silence?

Was it the long cycles of silence and separation?

When had they become strangers again?

The realizations came all at once; as Drift fidgeted and huffed a sigh through his vents as he tried to meditate. It burned in his chest when he saw Perceptor stroll through the hallways, viciously straight-backed and hard-eyed with Brainstorm nudging him playfully.

Drift narrowed his optics,swallowing that instinctual growl. Rodimus had nearly shrieked when Drift’s fist jolted out to slam into the wall hard enough to dent it and his finials went knife sharp.

The realizations hit like a head shot, burning in his eyes as Perceptor was elbow deep in Rodimus’s pet transport. How he hated the thing, but…

When Rodimus made such an offhand comment. It was nothing, really - but why did it settle in Perceptor’s heart like an ugly green weight?

“He’s real cuddly, though; Drift I mean.”

SNAP.

Rodimus jolted, looking at Perceptor in shock and his jaw dropping, “P-Primus, dude, come on we gotta get you to Ratchet-”

“Why?”, asked the sniper, low and cold and ANGRY for no discernible reason. Until he looked at his hands. The wrench in them was… broken. Cracked completely in half and littering his hands with the glimmering specks of flakes metal.

“Dude, I know you have microtools in your servos, you might have damaged some…thing… Are you okay?”

“I’m perfectly all right. Nothing a few hours at the range won’t fix.”

He finished his work, bolted the panels of the orange transport monstrosity shut, and took his leave. He felt Rodimus watching him as he did so. His steps were loud, too loud, like the ticking of a clock he couldn’t see or a countdown he couldn’t watch; then there they stood.

Drift and Perceptor faced each other, in the hall, in silence. Words clawed their way up intakes only to be painfully swallowed down.

“Brainstorm sent me. Needs you in the lab.”

“Understood, Drift. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Perceptor.”

They passed by, twitchy fields brushing and it was a sudden shock, a bloom of calm where the electromagnetics touched and Drift stumbled as Perceptor suddenly choked on a painful throb in his spark. They stood, frozen, neither daring to glance back before hurrying away.

Perceptor didn’t know when or why he started running, but here he was, nearly out of breath and leaning against the lab door. It whooshed open, and Brainstorm made a shocked noise before hands pulled the scientist in and began checking him over for damage.

“Perce, are you alright?”

“Just… Just had a scare in the hall. Distracted by my thoughts. You know, that whole business.”

“…Yeah that’s a slagheap-and-a-half. Look, Magnus commed me to finalize the paperwork. Can you watch the lab while I’m gone? I can call Cyclonus or someone else if I need to.”

“No, no its fine. I’m fine.”, said Perceptor, straightening.

Brainstorm squeezed Perceptor’s shoulders worriedly before nodding, “Alright, alright I’ll believe you for now. Be careful; I may be at an unattainable level of genius here but I’m… bad at putting people back together.”

Perceptor scoffed, and Brainstorm grinned before slipping away. Perceptor sighed, and walked to the usual chair he always dozed in on slow days. He sat down and leaned back, feeling the chair’s back creak and settled down to try and ignore his thoughts.

Drift had managed to get around the corner before he froze. Rodimus stood, arms crossed and optics narrow.

“Uh, yeah, what’s up Roddy?”, asked Drift, trying to play off the fact he looked like a spooked Seeker in a storm, “You uh, need something?”

“Something’s up with Perceptor.”

“It’s Perceptor, something’s always up with him. Usually his guard, or his temper. Fifty-fifty.”

Rodimus pointed a finger at Drift then, “There. That’s it. That’s what’s up.”

“…I’m not following.”

“Whenever you reminisce about him, you big dork, you call him Percy. But you don’t call him Percy to his face.”

“Yeah well… That was a long time ago.”

“Like hell it is.”, said Rodimus firmly, gently, “Drift, c’mon. You can’t lie to an Amica. You and Perceptor were damned close in the Wreckers and then everything went sideways.”

“So what?”

“Now’s a chance to straighten it out.”

“Roddy, look, what happened happened. There’s no going back-”

“But there is going forward. Grow some bearings and get to it.”, sighed Rodimus, striding forward and draping an arm around Drift’s shoulders, “As your Amica, consider it me asking you for a favor. I can’t have my TIC and my head Wizard offlining themselves from a crush.”

“IT’S NOT-”

“I’ve heard you talk in recharge. Yes it is, don’t lie, and do NOT make me drag you kicking and shrieking through these halls.”

“You wouldn’t.”

The look Rodimus gave him said otherwise, and Drift hunched down slightly, “….Alright, alright. I will.”

Rodimus nodded sharply, “Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I haven’t given Megatron a sparkattack in like… psht, half a cycle? I’m behind on schedule.”

Drift snorted hard as Rodimus looked thoughtful for a moment before he tweaked one of Drift’s finials, “Now, go gitcha mech.”

“Primus don’t ever say that again.”

“Don’t gimme a reason. Now g’wan.”

Drift sighed, and commed Perceptor.

::Yes?::

::Where are you. We… need to talk.::

::…The lab. Passcode hasn’t changed. Non-volatile.::

::Be there in a few kliks.::

Perceptor still started when the door opened a few minutes after the commlink was closed. Drift stood, awkward and out of place and it make Perceptor’s spark throb painfully again. Where was the Drift that sashayed through the door like he owned the place?

Drift swallowed hard, forcing himself to move closer to Perceptor. The steps were once more a clock running backwards to the zero hour, to the moment their fields would brush. Would it hurt again? Would he fall to his knees?

Would he feel anger? Fear? …Hatred?

Three steps, two.

Would it burn? Would it sting, would it reject him like a polarized magnet?

He stopped, swallowed hard again. And then he heard it, that soft whisper.

“You can get closer, if you’d like.”

One more step, and their fields brushed again. A tangled haze of missyou//loveyou//mineminemine and Drift whined pathetically as Perceptor’s optic scope whirred to focus.

And Drift seemed to fall onto him, clinging to plating with a scrape of claws and Perceptor’s arms were around him again and it was like they were trying to fuse into one being when their lips met. Perceptor groaned thickly, tilting his helm to seal their mouths together and Drift’s optics offlined to lose himself in the sensation.

Drift shifted, straddling the scientist’s lap and breaking the kiss with a gasp. Perceptor’s hands gripped Drift’s thighs, and the speedster shivered when he felt the scientist’s servos tremble. Drift sighed through his vents when he felt Perceptor nip at neck cables, moaning when the scientist soothed the sting with his glossa. The swordsmech’s servos moved to Perceptor’s helm, pushing him lightly against the dark throat as Drift whispered, “Don’t stop. Don’t stop touching me.”

“I won’t.”, murmured Perceptor, “Never again.”

With a purr rumbling in his chest, Drift leaned back just enough to make Perceptor look up to the speedsters face before those finials twitched and their lips met in another kiss.

Brainstorm hummed to himself, punching in the code to lock the door after slipping out. He had done a favor by silently tugging the cord to close the blinds on the hall-facing windows. He commed Magnus.

::Just a heads up, Perceptor has the lab to himself for a while.::

::I see, he has been irritable as of late.::

::Yeah, I uh… I don’t think he’s gonna be too prissy after this.::


End file.
